1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to child resistant lighters with a flipper safety mechanism.
2. Related Art
The invention relates to a lighter comprising, on the one hand, a flame generation device whereof a portion called an actuator is mobile between a so-called rest position, wherein said device cannot generate a flame, and a so-called ready position wherein said device can generate a flame, and on the other hand, a safety mechanism mobile between a so-called locked position wherein said safety mechanism blocks the actuator in its rest position and a so-called unlocked position enabling said actuator to move towards its active position.
In this type of lighter, a safety mechanism is present to prevent unintended persons, such as children, from using the lighter and igniting a flame, thereby risking injury to themselves or to other persons.
A lighter of the type described above wherein the safety mechanism is a safety member cooperating with a blocking ridge integral with the lighter when the safety mechanism is in its locked position, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,358.
To go from the locked position to the unlocked position when the lighter is placed in a vertical position, the user must cause horizontal movement of the safety member, thereby releasing it from the blocking ridge, and at the end of its movement, must depress the actuator vertically to initiate the generation of a flame.
A lighter comprising a flame generation device and a safety mechanism is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,448.
The flame generation device comprises a portion called an actuator, which is mobile between a rest position wherein the device cannot generate a flame and a so-called ready position wherein the device can generate a flame.
The safety mechanism of this lighter is an integral part of the actuator and has a projecting portion, which cooperates with a blocking ridge of the lighter in order to block the actuator when it is subjected to a conventional force, which any user employs to operate the lighter.
This force is aligned with an axis corresponding to that of the actuator.
The teaching of this patent indicates that to release the actuator, it must be titled rearward and hence, simultaneously, the safety mechanism attached thereto, in order to release the projecting portion of the safety mechanism from the blocking ridge of the lighter.
An axial thrust force must then be applied in a known manner to the actuator to operate the lighter.
In the view of the documents cited above, the applicant aims to find a new lighter striking a good compromise between its user-friendliness for a normal user and its difficulty of use by an unintended user.
The present invention therefore proposes a lighter comprising, on the one hand, a flame generation device whereof a portion called an actuator is mobile between a so-called rest position, wherein said device cannot generate a flame, and a so-called ready position, wherein said device can generate a flame and, on the other hand, a safety mechanism mobile between a so-called locked position wherein said safety mechanism blocks the actuator in its rest position and a so-called unlocked position enabling said actuator to move toward its ready position, wherein the safety mechanism pivots about the actuator to change position.
The present invention hence proposes a lighter safety mechanism of a novel design.
The lighter safety mechanism according to the invention offers the advantage of being simpler to use than that of the lighter described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,448 because it only provides for the pivoting motion of the safety mechanism about the actuator, and not the movement of the entire actuator, as in the patent cited.
According to one feature of the invention, the safety mechanism comprises a so-called bearing portion, which under the action of a first force makes a pivoting motion towards one end of the actuator to which a second force is applied to displace said actuator from its rest position towards its ready position, said bearing portion being arranged at the level of said end when the safety mechanism is in the unlocked position.
Thus, when the safety mechanism has been displaced from its locked position to its unlocked position by applying the first force, the bearing portion being disposed at the level of the end of the actuator, the user then merely needs to apply the second-force naturally to displace the actuator from its end, from its rest position to its ready position.
At the end of the pivoting motion, when the safety mechanism is in the unlocked position, the first force is applied to the bearing portion in a direction forming an angle greater than 90 degrees to another direction along which the second force is applied to the end of the actuator.
Thus, at the end of the unlocking movement of the safety mechanism, the force applied by the user to terminate this movement is not, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,358, perpendicular to the other direction along which the second force is applied to the end of the actuator to conventionally operate the lighter, but, on the contrary, makes an angle greater than 90 degrees to it, thereby facilitating the sequencing of the two movements and naturally guiding the user in the second movement.
Furthermore, the pivoting motion of the safety mechanism proposed according to the invention is more difficult to achieve for an unintended user of the lighter than a simple transition motion, as provided in the lighter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,358.
In fact, an unintended user such as a child could inadvertently use the lighter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,358 by pressing its finger at different places on the grooved portion of the end of the actuator, which is a non-negligible surface area if the force it applies to this portion is unintentionally oblique and not perpendicular thereto.
On the contrary, to cause a pivoting motion of the safety mechanism of the lighter according to the invention, it is necessary, by definition, to pivot this mechanism and thereby to locate the pivot about which the movement is made.
Such movement is hence theoretically more difficult to execute than a simple translation motion and, in all likelihood, a pivoting motion is more rarely applied unintentionally than a translation motion similar to the one described herein.
According to one characteristic, the pivoting motion is executed about an axis.
According to one characteristic, the actuator is mobile along a longitudinal axis.
According to one characteristic, the safety mechanism pivots about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of movement of the actuator.
According to one characteristic, the safety mechanism is elastically maintained in its locked position.
According to one characteristic, the safety mechanism comprises a safety member cooperating with a blocking ridge integral with said lighter.
According to another characteristic, the safety member comprises a so-called ready portion, which is disposed against the blocking ridge, in the locked position of the safety mechanism, and which is disposed facing a housing, in the unlocked position of said safety mechanism.
According to one characteristic, in the locked position of the safety mechanism, the active portion is tilted to the longitudinal axis of the actuator in the direction of said actuator.
According to another characteristic, the safety member comprises a bearing portion whereof the pivoting motion has an amplitude corresponding to the tilt angle formed between the active portion and the longitudinal axis of the actuator.
According to one characteristic, the housing is elongated along an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of displacement of the actuator so that, in the locked position of the safety mechanism, the active portion of the safety member engages in said housing when the actuator goes from its rest position to its ready position.
According to another characteristic, the active portion of the safety members forms a flange.
According to one characteristic, the actuator comprises a cap to which pressure is applied to displace said actuator from its rest position towards its ready position, the safety member being arranged at the level of said cap.
According to a first and second embodiment of the invention, the safety member forms at least one member added to the actuator.
Advantageously, the addition of a safety member to the actuator does not put into question the entire design of said actuator.
According to a characteristic of the first and second embodiment, the safety member is fixed to the actuator via its pivoting axis.
This represents a particularly simple and effective means to fix the safety member.
According to a characteristic linked to the first and second embodiments of the invention, the safety member comprises the bearing portion, which is arranged around the pivoting axis.
According to a characteristic linked to the first two embodiments of the invention, the flange of the safety member is attached to the bearing portion.
According to a characteristic linked to the first two embodiments, the safety member comprises an inactive portion, which is maintained in position with respect to the actuator.
The inactive portion does not participate in the pivoting motion of the safety member but, on the contrary, serves as a support point for said member during the pivoting motion and thereby limits the amplitude of said motion. The inactive portion is for example, blocked by the actuator.
According to a characteristic of the first embodiment of the invention, the safety member comprises a spring having, on the one hand, a so-called central portion arranged inside the bearing portion of said member and around the pivoting axis and, on the other hand, two so-called end portions, one extending along the flange and the second merging with the inactive portion maintained in position with respect to the actuator.
This serves to obtain a limited elastic deformation of the safety member during the pivoting motion.
According to a characteristic of the second embodiment, the inactive portion maintained in position with respect to the actuator is a flange, which has a reduced thickness compared with the thickness of the bearing portion of the safety member.
This also serves to obtain a limited elastic deformation of said safety member during the pivoting motion.
According to a characteristic linked to the first two embodiments, the active and inactive portions of the safety member form between one another an angle smaller than 90xc2x0 when the safety mechanism is in the locked position.
According to another characteristic of the first two embodiments of the invention, the bearing portion of the safety mechanism is grooved and/or embossed to facilitate its use by a lighter user.
According to a third embodiment of the invention, the safety member forms one and the same member with the actuator.
In particular, the safety member forms one and the same member with the cap, which does not require reviewing the entire design of the actuator.
According to a characteristic linked to the third embodiment, the safety member is integral with the actuator via an arm.
According to one characteristic, this arm has a general curved shape, which acts as a hinge for the pivoting motion of the safety member.
According to a characteristic linked to this third embodiment, the pivoting axis is placed at the level of the arm.
According to another characteristic linked to this third embodiment, the safety member comprises, on the one hand, an actuating head at least partially forming the bearing portion to which the force is applied to execute the pivoting motion and, on the other hand, the flange forming the active portion of said member.
In particular, the actuating head and flange confer on the safety member a general T-shape with a leg that is formed of said flange.
According to another characteristic linked to this third embodiment of the invention, a space is provided between the actuating head and the actuator.
This space enables said actuating head to be displaced during the pivoting motion of the safety member towards its unlocked position, while limiting said displacement.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which is given as an illustrative, not limitative example and should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In addition, lighters containing piezoelectric units are very useful and have become quite prevalent in modern times. Lighters of the type described herein generally contain a lighter housing that is small enough to be held in the palm of an adult hand. The operation of piezoelectric lighters is somewhat simpler than that of the traditional flint/spark-wheel lighter. Generally, the lighter is operated by depressing an actuator button, which both activates the piezoelectric unit and acts on a fuel-release lever to release fuel. As a result, a flame is produced at a location opposite the actuator button. As is evident, this process avoids the need for operation of a spark wheel simultaneously with operation of a fuel-release button in order to generate a flame. Obviously, there is an advantage to the simplicity that is offered by piezoelectric lighters. On the other hand, in the hands of children, or others who do not know how to safely and properly operate the lighter, such lighters are as dangerous as any other spark and/or flame-producing device. Therefore, a need has been realized to equip lighters with safety features that minimize accidental or improper use by inexperienced persons, especially young children.
Many inventions have been created to address this safety-related concern. Generally, these inventions have sought to introduce safety mechanisms that disable operation of the actuator button of the lighter. As such, these lighters normally consist of a safety feature whereby the operational path of the actuator button is blocked by a latch, button, slide, or other blocking means. Proper operation of the lighter requires that the blocking means be moved out of the path of the actuator button, or other structure that might be integral with the actuator button, before a flame can be produced. Only then is the operator able to depress the actuator button and produce a flame. As such, the prior art requires additional structural members, as well as additional steps (e.g., lateral or longitudinal disengagement of a blocking means), to operate the lighter.
In some of the aforementioned lighters, the safety mechanism is passive. That is, once the safety feature is deactivated by moving the blocking member from the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d to the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d position, the lighter remains in the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d position, and thus is operable as a cigarette lighter with no safety feature at all. In these devices, the lighter remains in the xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d position until the safety feature is activated again by manually reengaging the safety mechanism (e.g., by manually returning the blocking means to the xe2x80x9clockedxe2x80x9d position).
In order to address this problem, some inventions have introduced safety mechanisms that are activated automatically after each use of the lighter. In general, this improvement has alleviated some of the fears associated with leaving the lighter in an xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d, operable position after the operator has finished using the lighter. Nevertheless, a disadvantage that is common to the passive, as well as the active, lighters is that their operation is usually quite cumbersome. Frequently, in order to use such lighters, the operator must use more than one finger, and sometimes more than one hand, to perform several functions simultaneously. As such, loss of ease of use is the price that is paid for any additional amount of safety that might be achieved.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that not only achieves the stated safety goals, but also is amenable to operation with relative ease. The invention described herein offers such a combination and consists of a safety button that is similar in size and physical location to the conventional activation button. The invention requires that a flipper or piezo ignition button, located in a cavity within the activation button, be depressed simultaneously with the activation button before a flame can be produced. In this way, young children are coaxed into believing that they can operate the lighter in the usual way, i.e., by pressing only the activation button. However, such operation will produce neither a spark nor a flame. Moreover, given the relatively small size of the flipper, operation of this button requires an amount of strength and pulp that are rarely found in the fingers of young children. At the same time, due to the placement of the flipper, simultaneous operation of both the activation button and the flipper requires use of only one finger, so that operation of the lighter by the intended adult user is no different from operation of a lighter with no safety mechanism at all.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a safety mechanism for child-resistant lighters so that children, or inexperienced users, will be less likely to inadvertently activate the lighter. Such a safety feature is especially important because young children often play with lighters as toys and because lighters have mechanically moveable parts that make them attractive to children as toys.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for maximizing safety in lighters without compromising ease of use.
The invention meets its objectives by providing an activation button and a flipper within one button. When a child attempts to activate the lighter by depressing the activation button, neither a spark or a flame will be generated because the activation button is stopped along its path by a stopper before activating the piezo unit to generate a spark.
The stopper is integral with the activation button, and when the activation button is depressed, this stopper engages a ledge on the inner surface of the lighter housing, so that the activation button cannot continue to activate the piezo unit to generate a spark. As such, repeated operation of the activation button by a child will yield the same unsuccessful results.
The only way to activate the lighter is to depress the flipper with the activation button. When this is done, initially, the activation button and the flipper will both move a certain distance, say distance Y, along the longitudinal axis of the lighter. But, when the stopper of the activation button engages the ledge of the inner surface of the lighter body, the activation button cannot move any further than distance Y. Depressing the activation button may only release some fuel, but without activating the piezo unit, no spark is produced to ignite this fuel.
However, if the user continues to depress the flipper, the flipper moves a distance, say distance Z, further than the activation button to activate the piezo unit to generate a spark to ignite the released fuel. Since the flipper is pivotally connected or integrally connected to the activation button about a button axis, the flipper can move independently of the activation button.
This is a simple, yet effective concept. Nevertheless, it is a concept that a young child operating the lighter must recognize and grasp before he/she can successfully operate the lighter. In most cases, the child will not recognize the usefulness of the flipper and will abandon the lighter after several unsuccessful attempts.
Moreover, even if a child does attain an appreciation for the interrelationship between the flipper, the activation button, and the production of a flame, he/she will still have difficulty activating the lighter. The portion of the flipper that is exposed is small relative to the size of the activation button. As such, it is more difficult to fully depress the flipper than if the operator needed to depress only the larger, more-easily reachable, activation button. Thus, the single finger of a young child will not be able to fully depress the flipper. Moreover, because of the smaller size and location of the flipper, a child cannot use a plurality of fingers to try and depress the flipper. As such, the strength needed to depress the flipper, and the lack thereof in young children, itself acts as a deterrent in the present invention.
Furthermore, in order for the lighter to be successfully operated, the user must continue to press the flipper in order to activate the piezo unit to generate a spark. In order to achieve this task, the operator""s finger must have enough pulp to continue to depress the flipper even when the activation button has stopped. While an adult operator can easily perform this procedure, a child operator will have difficulty doing so. Hence, again, the structural configuration of the safety mechanism of the present invention acts as a deterrent to use by young children.
Finally, as can be understood from the above description, the invention disclosed herein achieves its safety objectives without making operation of the lighter any more cumbersome than a conventional piezoelectric cigarette lighter with no safety feature. Specifically, the flipper is shaped and positioned in such a way that operation of the lighter is very simple in experienced hands. An adult user familiar with the operation of lighters need use only one finger and activate the lighter as he/she would normally by placing the finger on the flipper and activation button. This allows the user to operate the lighter in a safe, yet non-complicated manner.